LEGO® Education - Design a Mobile Observatory

LEGO® Education

Eclipse Collection

Design a Mobile

Observatory

Explore engineering

design challenges when

observing an eclipse

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Time

45–90 minutes

STEAM Practices

• Develop and use

models

• Iteratively test and

modify designs

• Meet design constraints

There is a lot of buzz when a total solar eclipse is about to occur!

Whether you are a researcher studying space, a scientist working

for NASA, or a space enthusiast pondering the mysteries of our

universe, there is something exciting for all viewers of a solar

eclipse. In this activity, students will be given the opportunity

to celebrate the total solar eclipse by exploring an engineering

design challenge faced by researchers when observing an

eclipse and its totality. This activity enables students to learn

about or connect what they already know about the Sun, Earth,

and the Moon and what researchers are currently working on in

this area.

This activity is ﬂexible and can easily be adapted for the

grades and subjects you teach. You can use LEGO® bricks, full

LEGO® Education sets, or any materials you already have in the

classroom.

Objectives

• Explore the processes of a solar eclipse and what it can tell us about our universe

• Design and build a prototype of a mobile observatory

Project Overview

Design a Mobile Observatory

Created by Daniel Buhrow

Serving as an educator for ten years, Daniel Buhrow is a 3rd-

5th grade STEAM teacher for the gifted and talented program

in his district in McKinney, Texas. Over the last few years, he

has become an active presenter and instructor for district

professional developments, where he advocates for gifted and

talented students and the instruction his team provides at the

elementary level. Daniel loves to incorporate LEGO® Education

solutions into his curriculum as a LEGO® Education Ambassador

and share his classroom experiences with others. In his current

role, he continues to push the envelope of innovation and

engagement by providing meaningful and impactful lessons to

his future scientists and mathematicians.

LEGO® Education

Eclipse Collection

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1. Consider Asking Questions Like

• What is a solar eclipse?

• How do scientists and researchers predict

when solar eclipses will occur and where the

path of totality will be?

• How do researchers and scientists observe

a solar eclipse when the path of totality

changes?

• What are different types of tools and

equipment researchers and scientists use to

observe and study a solar eclipse?

2. Engage Students with the

Following Prompt

Let’s imagine the Sun, the Moon, and Earth are

friends playing hide-and-seek, but they are in

space. Earth is the seeker and trying to ﬁnd

the Sun and the Moon. The Sun is so bright,

it needs help hiding. A solar eclipse happens

when the Moon moves in front of the Sun,

blocking its light for a little while. Let’s think of

the Sun as a big ﬂashlight in the sky, and the

Moon as your hand. What happens when your

hand goes in front of the ﬂashlight? Do you

see a shadow?

3. Build Background Knowledge

This is a great opportunity for both you and

your students to learn about eclipses. Start

with asking the question: What is an eclipse?

You might explain how this is all because of the

Moon’s revolution around Earth, and Earth’s

revolution around the Sun. There are moments

during the Moon’s orbit around Earth that put

it between us and the Sun. Because of Earth’s

orbit around the Sun, the tilt of Earth’s axis, and

the tilt of the Moon’s orbit can line-up just right

and sometimes the shadow the Moon creates

will land right on Earth, causing a solar eclipse.

4. Connect to Current Events

and Research

Not only are eclipses stunning to see, but they

are also opportunities for research and study.

For example, did you know there are multiple

layers to the Sun? The one that remains visible

during a total solar eclipse is the outermost

part of the atmosphere, called the corona.

The corona can reach extreme temperatures

even hotter than the surface of the Sun itself.

Normally we can’t see the corona because the

Sun’s surface below it is so bright, but during

a total solar eclipse it becomes visible, and

researchers are able to study it. Provide some

relevant examples or have students do their

own research to create even more real-world

connections.

Earth

The MoonThe Sun

Getting Started

LEGO® Education

Eclipse Collection

LEGO, the LEGO logo, the Miniﬁgure, and the SPIKE logo are trademarks and/or

As a space enthusiast, observer, or researcher,

one challenge is creating a way to view natural

phenomena, like a solar eclipse, on the go! The

path of totality for a solar eclipse only happens

in speciﬁc locations that scientists work hard to

analyze and predict. When an eclipse occurs, if you

want the best seat in the house, you may have to

do some traveling!

Scientists will be able to study the eclipse, but they

will need a way to collect data. Can you design a

mobile observatory?

Here are a few things to think about

in your design:

• Protective enclosure that can help protect the

telescope from potential light pollution and

environmental factors like rain, wind, and dust.

• A platform on top of your vehicle or potentially

being pulled by a trailer that can hold a

telescope securely and rotate to move along

with the path of the Sun and the Moon.

• Durability: Your mobile observatory may have

to travel over different terrains. What are some

obstacles you might need to prepare for?

Observing space is all about being prepared for

anything, so we cannot wait to see what you come

up with!

Student Challenge

LEGO® Education

Eclipse Collection

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Reﬂections

Ask students to reﬂect on their designs:

• What does the model do well?

• How could you improve it?

• What limitations does it have when representing scientiﬁc phenomena (scale,

proportion, tilt, etc.)?

Modify and Accommodate

Meet your students where they are. Hands-on, playful learning by nature provides entry

points for students and lends itself to giving opportunities to iterate and ask questions

for those who need more.

Here are a few ideas to consider:

• Simplify or advance the language to explain the concept of a solar eclipse.

• Use visual aids to illustrate the relationship between the Sun, Earth, and the Moon.

• Simplify or increase the design requirements of the mobile observatory design

challenge. Focus on creative and imaginative aspects. For example, have students

build a simple structure that represents a mobile observatory without the emphasis

on speciﬁc features. To advance it, throw an extra design constraint into the mix or

add a new barrier to the challenge mid-stream.

• Use visual aids, charts, and diagrams to support understanding. Provide visual step-

by-step instructions.

• Consider grouping based on individual needs. Allow students to work in pairs or

small groups, where they can receive peer support and collaboration.

• Provide opportunities for one-on-one guidance and support during hands-on

activities and discussions.

• Modify materials as needed, such as larger or easier-to-handle bricks.

• Allow extended time for tasks and activities. Break the lesson into shorter segments,

allowing for breaks or adjustments based on individual needs.

Share your students’ builds

with #LEGOeduEclipse

Conclusion

LEGOeducation.com/eclipse

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Using LEGO Education Sets

Need inspiration? Explore these lessons to

get started building and try these model

modiﬁcations.

• Cave Car: Students can remove the Light

Matrix from the front and add a motor to the

driving base and use the other motor for the

rotating platform. Students can also use a

motor for the rotating platform and the color

matrix to represent the Sun disappearing

behind the Moon.

• Taxi! Taxi!: Students could modify to only use

one motor on the taxi and then use the other

motor for the rotating platform.

• Driving Around: Students can use the simple

driving base from Training Camp 1 as the base

for the mobile observatory.

Other Activities

• Channel your inner storyteller and create a

stop-motion animation or video showing the

events of a solar eclipse. Create the scene

with LEGO bricks or showcase the sequence of

events during a solar eclipse with a storyboard

or creative writing piece.

• Use LEGO bricks or other materials to show

the relationship between the Sun, Earth, and

the Moon.

• Create an observation journal leading up to

and during the solar eclipse. Record data such

as the weather, temperature, and any changes

you may notice in the environment during the

eclipse. (If it is clear skies, look at shadows on

the ground.)

• Create artwork inspired by the solar eclipse.

This could include paintings, drawings, or

sculptures that capture the essence of the

celestial event. Host an art gallery within the

school to showcase your creations.

• Write and illustrate a storybook that explains

the science behind a solar eclipse.